WASHINGTON — Eric H. Holder Jr., a former Justice Department official who was co-chairman of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, is the leading candidate to serve as the next U.S. attorney general, according to Democratic sources familiar with the choice.

Holder, 57, was offered the job late last week and tentatively accepted it, sources said. The Obama team intends to make the nomination official if he receives at least moderate support from Republican lawmakers and completes the vetting process, the sources said.

Sources close to the process said Holder was a “near certainty” to become the first African-American nominated to head the Justice Department, which plays a leading role in enforcing civil rights laws.

Officials in the Obama transition office said no final decision had been reached.

The nation’s next top law enforcement officer will inherit significant challenges, including a workforce demoralized by allegations of political interference in the Bush years, the vexing issue of how to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and whether to open criminal investigations of administration officials who approved harsh interrogation tactics and warrantless wiretapping programs.

As a former judge and top federal prosecutor in Washington, Holder has extensive experience with the criminal-justice system.

He is widely known within the city’s legal community and for his philanthropic work on behalf of troubled juveniles. In recent years, he defended corporations as a partner at the Covington & Burling law firm, and he took an active role in the presidential campaign after befriending Obama at a dinner party.

Over the course of his career, Holder has won praise from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, though his selection is likely to revive questions about his inability to prevent a last-minute pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich, who won relief from President Clinton during his final day in office in 2001.

In congressional testimony, Holder acknowledged that he had made a mistake by not spending more time on the pardon request and by making a quick judgment of “neutral leaning towards favorable.”

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday that the pardon issue is “a factor . . . that will be on center stage.” He said he will need to examine Holder’s background in greater depth.

A formal announcement of the choice may not come for several days, sources said. Holder did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday.

Earlier in his career, Holder flirted with the idea of running for political office, once mulling over a run for mayor of Washington, only to face questions from community leaders as to whether he was “black enough,” according to news reports from the mid-1990s.

Holder has advocated an aggressive federal role in enforcing laws regarding health care, civil rights and the environment, as well as more resources to combat violent crime. As a surrogate for the Obama campaign, Holder appeared at a meeting of police chiefs, promising more federal grant money for state and local police.

As a prosecutor and judge for more than 25 years, Holder supported the death penalty and targeted public corruption. While he was the U.S. attorney in Washington, his office won the conviction of former congressman Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill.

In private practice, Holder helped broker a $650 million settlement between Merck and the government over the pharmaceutical company’s alleged failure to pay Medicaid rebates. He defended Chiquita Brands, which paid $25 million to resolve allegations that it made protection payments to rebel and terrorist groups in Colombia. And he represented the National Football League in its review of dogfighting charges against quarterback Michael Vick.

About Eric Holder

Eric Holder, 57, was a No. 2 Justice Department official in the Clinton administration and a member of the team that helped select Joe Biden as Barack Obama’s running mate. He is a partner in the Washington law firm Covington & Burling.

His wife is Sharon Malone, a gynecologist/obstetrician. They have three children.

Holder was born in New York City’s Bronx borough to immigrants from Barbados. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Columbia University.

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